Mohammed Deif

Mohammed Deif (born 12 August 1965) is the commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.

Biography
Mohammed Deif was born on 12 August 1965 in Khan Younis in Egypt (now part of the semi-independent Gaza Strip). He became a member of Hamas and took part in many bombings against Israel in the 1990s, and Deif was made the leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the organization.

In 2014, Deif was in command of Hamas' army when Israel launched Operation Protective Edge to avenge the killing of Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Frenkel, and Gilad Shaar after being abducted by Hamas. He fought against Israel in the Gaza Strip, and on 19 August Israel launched an airstrike on his house. His 27-year-old wife Widad, 7-month-old son Ali, 3-year-old daughter Sara, and three civilians. He was not killed in the strike.